Large Scale Maps of Venus Released

Large-scale hemispheric maps of Venus made from the data
acquired by the Magellan spacecraft in its first eight-month long
mapping cycle will be released at a news conference at NASA
headquarters in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, Oct. 29.

Processing of the cycle 1 data sets for both imagery and
altimetry have been completed, a Magellan spokesman said, and
maps will be revealed at the 1 p.m. EST news conference.

Dr. Steve Saunders, project scientist, also will show a
three-dimensional perspective video to illustrate the fractured
and rifted terrain of Venus.

Dr. John Wood of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
a member of the Magellan science team who has studied rock
weathering on Venus, will discuss the volcano Maat Mons which he
said may be of very recent origin.

"The Magellan test stereo data appear to be the best radar
stereo ever obtained by any program," Saunders said. He will
discuss the images and release a new stereo image along with the
video and other products.

Additionally, members of the science team will present
results of a radio occultation experiment, the first Magellan
experiment that looked at the planet's atmosphere using its radio
beam.

Saunders said the data look very clean and will provide
information about the distribution of sulfuric acid vapor down to
about 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) above the surface, much lower
than previous spacecraft experiments penetrated.

Dr. Gordon Pettengill of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, the principal investigator of the radar experiment,
will address completion of the global altimetry and radiometry
data sets from the first mapping cycle.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Magellan Project
for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.